A World's Awakening
by Skyblade12
Summary: This is a Fire Emblem Awakening self-insert. How does one react when thrown into a new world, with new rules, and expected to adapt? How will a new face change things, and how will the story unfold?
1. Chapter 1 - A Rude Awakening

**This is one of my first fanfiction attempts, so I hope it is well received and reviewed. This is an exercise for me, a task I've given myself to keep me working on the aspects of storytelling that usually frustrate and overwhelm me.**

**This is a self-insert story, following myself as I am thrust into the world of Fire Emblem Awakening, shortly before the plot really begins.**

**I would like to thank Gone2GroundEX and lambentLodestar, who are my inspiration for writing this particular style of work. Without their examples and advice, I likely would have avoided doing a self-insert. If you have yet to read their works (_Asleep_ or _Daydreams and Nightmares_, respectively), give them a shot, they're well worth reading.**

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-Chapter 01: A Rude Awakening-

I awoke to a bright light in my eyes.

_Seriously? Who the heck turns on the lights on someone sleeping?_

As I fade back to consciousness, however, I realize that I'm not in my own room or bed. Instead, I seem to be in the middle of a field of grass. Blinking and looking around, not only do I not see a familiar building, but I also don't see any signs of people at all.

_This doesn't make any sense. Someone would have had to break into my home, kidnap me, and dump me in the middle of a field. Where I don't wake up until midday. Possible, I suppose, especially if they drugged me, but hardly likely, and it doesn't really give a REASON for that activity. Besides, I'm not feeling disoriented._

And I wasn't. Still a little groggy, since I had just woken up, but it wasn't any worse than a usual morning. I also noticed, however, that I wasn't in my own clothes. Instead, I was wearing some light clothes covered by a thick robe. And at my side hung a sword.

_Oh, goody, and my clothes have been replaced by something from a Renaissance Fair. Conclusion: I've been dragged into a LARP against my will._

I also noticed a weight on my back and noticed I had a pack on. Opening it up, I discovered a few leatherbound books, some golden coins, a rope, a knife, some flint, and a skin of liquid.

_Seriously, a skin? Who the heck even MAKES these? Not LARPers, then. Too few take things this seriously. A historical society? But they're usually not the kind to kidnap people._

Still, no point to sitting around. I needed to start finding my way back. I wasn't feeling particularly bad, but who knows how long I'd been out there in the sun. I needed to find my way back to civilization.

_Step One: Find water. If I can find a river, I can probably follow it to a city at some point._

There was no water in sight, but there was a fairly tall hill not too far away. Climbing it, I took a look at the landscape around me.

_That looks like a lake in the far distance, but THAT looks like a small town. Success._

Once I got to town I could figure out where I was, and hopefully from there get home and figure out how I got stuck out here in the first place.

_And find out who took my pajamas._

Over the course of the next hour I made the several mile trek to the town, my spirits sinking as I did so.

_I live in a major metropolitan area, I don't know of any field THIS big within the entire metroplex, let alone within easy driving distance._

As I neared the town, my worries took a greater toll on my mind.

_That is NOT modern architecture. Heck, I don't think Texas has EVER had buildings in that style, so it couldn't even be a historical town like Colonial Williamsburg. Just where the heck have I been taken?_

Trying to calm myself, I finally enter the town. It's a nice little place built, as I had initially suspected, near a river. Or, rather, around a river. The banks had been built up with bricks, and the river split and flowed around buildings and through numerous paddlewheels.

_Ok, so I have even less of a clue where I am than I did before, but I have to admit that this is a fascinating place. OH MY GOSH, is that a FORGE? Awesome!_

I couldn't help it, I'd always enjoyed metalworking. I stood outside for a while and watched the blacksmith at work. He was probably in his forties, bald on top, with a nice mustouche. As I watched he poured metal into a stone mold. I also saw, to my surprise, that he appeared to be working with bronze, rather than iron or steel.

_Again, an anachronism. If this WAS a historical recreation, the period being represented should be long past the Bronze Age. Heck, there's all sorts of Iron in the buildings around here. So why would he be crafting something from Bronze? Not that that keeps it from being all sorts of awesome._

Taking a break as the metal cooled in the mold, the blacksmith looked up at me.

"Can I help ye, lad?"

"Oh, sorry. I was just enjoying watching you work. I've always been a fan of metalworking. I was wondering where I was, though. I seem to have gotten lost.", I replied. _Better to keep things simple until I know what's going on and how I got here._

"A wanderer, eh? Well, you're in Southtown right now. Not a whole lot of interest here, though you're welcome to stay and watch, I suppose. But if you're looking for work, you'll probably have better luck heading north to Ylisstol."

_"WHAT?!"_

Ok, shouting was probably a bad idea, but I couldn't really help it. While I had considered the possibility of being in a LARP, this was really a bit overboard. I mean, recreating an entire town, from a _video game?_ It just didn't make sense. _Awakening_ may have been popular, but no way it has a fanbase this large, this dedicated, and this diverse. Even if you could find a few who would be dedicated enough to _build_ an entire town like this (not going to happen. Locations aren't important enough to replicate in this much detail), they also have enough people to populate it realistically? Yeah, right.

The blacksmith, and a goodly portion of the villagers, were staring at me. Not really surprising, considering how loud I'd just shouted.

"Sorry, sir. I simply wasn't expecting to have gotten so far south without realizing it. My goal was indeed quite a ways north of here. I need to get moving. If you'll excuse me."

I stumbled away, before turning and heading up the road he'd indicated, my mind racing.

_Ok, what the heck is going on? There is no possible way I'm in Ylisse, it's a FICTIONAL COUNTRY. So, possibilities. Well, I could be having a psychotic break. Although this seems a bit too far out of left field to be anything short of a COMPLETE meltdown, and a little too well crafted for that. A dream? More likely, I suppose. I have had lucid dreams before, including some which felt like they covered months of time. But I've never felt so out of place or aware of everything around in one of my dreams..._

My thoughts continued to analyze the situation, discarding possibility after possibility, as I walked several miles up the road. I didn't even notice the time going by until the sun started to drop and the land got darker.

_Perfect. And I was so freaked out that I missed the opportunity to get a meal and a stay at the inn. I HATE camping. Oh, well, at least it's a breezy day._

The road had been starting to lead to a more heavily wooded area, and I did not want to go traipsing through the woods at night. So I chose a tree near the road, but far enough from the woods for comfort, and settled in for the night. One advantage to the robe was that it was fairly comfortable for sleeping in, despite not having blankets.

I considered starting a fire, but decided against it for the time being. Too close to the forest on a windy night was not an ideal setup. Better to try to get a feel for how cold the night was going to get before I started a fire. So instead, I pulled up to read until the sun went fully down and the night closed in.

The first book I pulled out was nearly completely illegible. Not really surprising, I suppose. If this _was_ supposed to be Ylisse, than I guess that would make this a magical tome, and I hardly have the training to understand one, let alone use it. The other books, however, turned out to be somewhat more useful.

_Let's see, what do we have here. _A Treatise on Tactics. On the Nature of Magic. The Collected Sagas._ Well, at least I've got some reading that should prove interesting. Although, _A Treatise on Tactics..._ I'm not going to turn out to be Robin, am I? Robe, sword, tome. No Brand of the Fell Dragon, that I can see, but I can't exactly hold this place to a logical standard, since it is IMPOSSIBLE FOR IT TO EXIST._

I decided to crack open _On the Nature of Magic_, which turned about to be a fairly deep analytical work on how magic operated. It also contained theories on where it came from and how the different branches related to each other. Oddly enough, although it didn't include information on the Anima Trinity of Magic, it _did_ include information on Light Magic, despite there not being any in _Awakening_.

_This is fascinating. The branches of magic are quite a bit more distinct than they appear in the games. While each branch can use tomes as a power source or focus, how each type of magic operates is drastically different. Elder Magic is much more based in ritual and knowledge of bonds. That _would_ explain the focus on magic circles and glyphs among Dark Mages, especially in the GBA versions. I guess that explains its relative rarity. But I wonder why we didn't encounter any Light Mages in Awakening, if the magic itself exists._

Pausing for a moment, I pulled out the tome I hadn't been able to read.

_Let's see. Going from color of the leather, I'd have to guess this is either a Light tome or a Lightning Tome. But Lightning Tomes in Ylisse had a Lightning Bolt on the cover. So it's either the only Light Tome in all of Ylisse, or there's another inconsistency. Or it's not a magical tome and it's just written in another language. That'd be more fitting with my luck so far._

I went back to reading _On the Nature of Magic_, hoping to glean some insight into the workings of this world, or some information on how I got here. I continued to read until the shadows became too prevalent to see clearly. I then repacked the books and settled down, deciding it was warm enough that I didn't need a fire after all.

_No information on how to get home. And not even anything useful like "here's how to operate a Fire Tome". It may have been fascinating reading, but it's not really helpful to my current predicament. It's far too detailed to be a random work, though. Like the town, it's too real to be mad imaginings or a trick. What have I gotten myself in to?_

I awoke to a familiar face looking down on me.

_Whuzzat? Ok, whatever this insanity is, it's not over yet, because THAT would be Chrom. You have GOT to be kidding me._

"This isn't exactly the safest place to bed down for the night, friend."

_Well, that's not the game's dialogue, but this DOES seem to be the recruitment event. So I'm Robin, am I? Fan-smegging-tastic. I may be a great tactician in the game, but I'm not sure how well that would translate to a real-life scenario._

Still, with no other real recourse, I accepted his hand up (once again noting the lack of a Brand on mine own), and was pulled to my feet.

"May I ask your name?"

_Well, if I'm Robin, I'm supposed to be an amnesiac about everything, including my name. But Chrom's already split from the game's dialogue. So just how far should I take this? Oh, to heck with it._

I sighed, before replying softly.

"...Robin."

The reaction to this was rather unexpected. Chrom uttered a short "Huh?", and got the most comedic look of confusion on his face. But the real shocker came from the female voice behind me.

"That's _MY_ name!"

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**Feel free to offer an advice or insight that you have. While I of course prefer positive feedback, this is meant to be something to learn from.**

**I hope you all enjoy this, and look forward to seeing more.**


	2. Chapter 2 - Shared Knowledge

**Chapter two is completed, but still nothing interesting happens. Just more setup for the massive wrenches that I'm going to be throwing in this story later. Important stuff, but hardly interesting. Oh well, next chapter we get my first real battle.**

**Oh, yes, before I forget. Italics are thoughts, things spoken aloud are enclosed in quotes. I'll be using canon names for all characters from the games (Robin obviously being the Avatar/Tactician's name).**

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Chapter 2: Meetings and Preparations

I managed to conceal my surprise long enough to finish getting hauled to my feet by Chrom, then hung my head slightly and began to think as I cleaned my robes off.

_Ok, so I'M not Robin, SHE'S Robin. What does that make me? Wait, more important, how do I explain away knowing her name? Robin is an amnesiac with no friends, a relatively unknown history, and she's already under suspicion by Frederick. Having ANOTHER unknown wander who knows someone else's name would probably get us killed. I need a way out, c'mon, think. How could I know Robin's name, when Robin knows…nothing?_

Once I was fully balanced on my feet and had brushed off my robes, I turned, slowly, towards the young lady who had spoken earlier. I'm not entirely sure how I had missed her earlier. She stood a full head taller than Lissa, who was at her side, and her hair was a lighter shade of Chrom's own blue. The Fell Brand was also visible on the back of her hand, though it was not exactly on display. As she entered my full field of view I looked up at her, my eyes quickly glancing over her frame and clothes.

"Robin!"

I practically screamed her name as I ran up and squeezed her into a hug. She squeaked (cutest response ever), but did not return the hug at all, let alone so enthusiastically. I held the hug for a few moments, before finally easing off, and starting to bombard the young tactician with questions.

"I was so worried about you! I've been looking for you since the attack. How did you escape? Did these people help you? Why didn't you look for me? Did you…" I stopped for a moment, and looked Robin in the eyes. "Are you ok? You don't seem to be doing well."

Robin just stared at my helplessly before finally opening her own mouth to speak.

"Do you…know me?"

It might shock some of you to know how much that hurt. I mean, I had known it was coming, I had counted on it, but it still hit like a sledgehammer. Here I was, however far from home, in an impossible world, with no idea whom any of the people around me actually were, or how I might ever make it home. And Robin, possibly the only person who shared this situation, was asking such a question so plaintively, that it hurt just to hear her express it. It felt like the bottom had dropped out of my world, and I started to realize that I really was all alone in here. And as these thoughts went through my head, I realized that Robin was also on the verge of tears.

_Just what I needed, because this plan wasn't already making me feel ENOUGH like a giant jerk._

Chrom chose that moment to speak.

"Could we ask your name, friend? We've gotten everything we could from Robin here, but she says she doesn't remember much of anything, let alone a travelling companion."

Chrom's words were not unguarded, but nor were they harsh or critical. He wanted information, but it was also clear from his tone that he was more worried about his new friend than anything else. I took advantage of the distraction he gave to pull myself together some. As much as I might understand Robin's situation, I had some background that she didn't. I may not know how I got there, but I knew who I was and where I was from. I even knew where _she_ was from, and I intended to use that to my advantage now.

"Ah, you can call me Sky. You say that Robin doesn't remember me? We've travelled together for years."

I shift my balance and look into Robin's eyes. I ask her questions, some simple, some complicated, testing out her past knowledge as much as I can. But she remembers nothing, and I leave out some things on purpose. There are some things she shouldn't yet remember.

"Well, there's probably plenty I can tell you, but I'd like to hear what I've missed, first. What condition did you find Robin in, how did you meet her, and what have you learned from her so far."

This was little more than an excuse for me to think things over, while giving me an in-character reason for some of the things I probably already knew. Chrom rose to the situation, and told of their adventures up to the battle of Southtown when Frederick finally arrived, carrying a large bear on one arm and a heaping armful of branches on the other. Tossing the branches down, he gave Chrom a disapproving look.

"Who might this be, sir, and why did you not tell me that we had another unknown?"

"Peace, Frederick. This gentleman is no more threatening than Robin, and seems to know her. He could clear up some of the mysteries that have you so worried. We were just discussing the matter when you arrived back here."

Frederick acknowledged this with a curt bow of his head, and started the fire and began cooking the bear as Chrom continued to supply me with information.

"And, after the brigands in Southtown, we turned north towards Ylisstol, and found you along the road as we neared the woods."

I thought about this for a while. By the sounds of it, the brigands had attacked after I visited Southtown, and I'd simply been slow enough that the Shepards had managed to catch up with me after the battle.

"So you think the bandits are Plegian, or working with Plegian support, but you haven't seen any sign of the Grimleal anywhere in Ylisse."

Chrom nodded his assent. "That's correct. Why, is that important to you?"

By this point I had decided how much to share, and how I would be presenting myself in this world. Putting Chrom and the Shepards on guard against the Grimleal would hardly cause problems, and giving us a common foe would probably help. I could also use the situation to give myself a character in this world, and likely one that would be fairly safe.

I slowly nodded, before opening my mouth to respond. "The Grimleal are our foes. While Grima may be long gone, there are still Grimleal to this day obsessed with bringing the fell beast back into this world. There are rituals and rites that they can use to do this, and they have been targeting Robin for use in these rituals for many years. We've been running from the Grimleal for decades now, and the steps we've taken to evade them have been responsible for most of our travels over the years."

I look into Robin's eyes, which are widely staring at my own, eager for whatever information about her history she could get.

_I am going to have to be careful with this girl. Using her as a background is one thing, especially to escape trouble, but I'm not going to give play with her emotions beyond that._

"The Grimleal chased us from this world long ago. We escaped through the Outrealm Gate to the south, and have spent many years travelling between the Outrealms, helping differing Realms where we could. We've been to Jugdral, Tellius, and Elibe. It was only a few days ago that we finally decided to return, hoping that the Grimleal have finally collapsed. Alas, it would seem we were wrong."

"The Grimleal attacked us shortly after we returned. I don't know if they tracked us down, or if it was merely chance that brought us together. But whatever the cause, they split us up. I was overwhelmed, and quickly separated from Robin. It is likely that they wiped her memory then. I'm not sure _why_, except that they'd likely need her willing for their ritual purposes. But the fact that Robin is still well, and currently working with you all, gives me some hope that the Grimleal were likely thwarted yet again. And I believe I owe you all some thanks for this."

Lissa responded before Chrom could.

"Well, I don't know that we chased any bad guys away, but if you are really feeling so thankful, just tell me that you have something to eat besides _bear._"

Chrom laughed at this, while Frederick smiled serenely. I thought back to my supply pack, then sadly shook my head and spoke back to her.

"Unfortunately, my lady, I'm afraid that I don't have anything to eat either. If Frederick has acquired enough bear, I would appreciate some."

"Pfeh, fell free to have all of mine, the stuff is horrible."

With her blessings, I took some bear for myself. It was clear where her dislike for it lay, it was certainly not my favorite meat either. But it was not inedible, as I had half feared it to be, merely tough and gamey. As I ate it, I listened to Chrom and Lissa poking fun at each other, but my thoughts turned to Frederick, who was sitting in near silence next to the campfire. He wasn't actually as untrusting as the game might lead you to expect. He'd accepted the story I had told about Robin and the Grimleal with few questions, and seemed to be far more accepting of Robin as a compatriot now that he knew some more about her.

_I suppose it makes sense, in a way. I mean, he doesn't challenge any of the other recruits the way he does Robin, even those who are met under far more suspicious circumstances. I guess it's more a wariness of the unknown than a trait about new recruits in general._

As I finished my bear, I leaned back towards the tree, and began to drift off towards sleep. At least, that was my intention. But try as I might, I couldn't get to sleep with the thoughts running through my head.

_As if I didn't have enough troubles figuring out where I was or what I should be doing, I have to be ready to deal with an earthquake and a zombie apocalypse in the next few hours. Because things weren't lovely enough._

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**Things just keep getting better. Yep, the next chapter will introduce us to the Risen, and hopefully will get things actually moving. Hopefully after the first battle or two my character will adjust enough that I can actually have some fun with the writing, because he's kind of a pain in the neck right now.**

**Sorry this chapter is shorter than the last one, but I'm going more for "events" than length, and right before the arrival of the Risen seems like a good stopping point.**


	3. Chapter 3 - A World Asunder

**Yay. The last hard/boring chapter out of the way. After this fight I finally get to spend some time with the Shepards, relax, enjoy the world, etcetera.**

**Too much set up for this story occurs before the Shepards actually become the Shepards. The story doesn't get fun until you're working out of the Shepard's base and get to experience them as a group.**

* * *

The first sign of the coming rift actually occurred before Chrom woke. I had been thankful for the cool night breeze when I was trying to sleep earlier, and I noticed immediately when that breeze shifted. What had been a pleasant, blustery twilight became a stifled, overbearing midnight.

_And now Chrom awakes. I wonder, is he as sensitive to air flow when he sleeps as I am?_

"What's wrong, Big Brother?"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to awake you, but… Something is amiss…"

_As much as I like the game's dialogue, I'd rather not be left behind when the ground splits asunder and fire rains from the sky. Robin and Frederick may have made it ok, but I'd rather be ready to move._

"So you noticed it as well, milord? The wind has ceased, the air has grown stagnant, and now the animals have grown quiet."

Lissa jumped as she heard my voice.

"Hey, no fair, you didn't say you were awake too."

"For which I apologize, milady. But I share your brother's sentiments. There is something amiss here. I'll wake Robin and Frederick, if the two of you would like to look around."

Lissa looks pleased that I included her in the scouting activities, and Chrom smiled and followed her away from the campsite. I took a moment to rouse Robin. And then took a moment more, as she was a heavy sleeper. I was considering what else I should do when the first fireball fell and detonated a tree nearby, which was loud enough to wake both her and Frederick.

"Chrom and Lissa are exploring the area, but with exploding trees, I think we had best catch up to them as quickly as possible."

Since I had noted the direction they went, catching up to them was a simple matter. But, just before we reached them, the rift opened up, and the first of the Risen appeared. Dropping to the ground, the first one engaged Chrom, surviving a blow that would have destroyed any normal man, while the second dropped down and began attacking Lissa.

As much as I may have complained about my situation, I will not deny that it has perks. Knowing exactly where the enemy is moving and how they will react is a real advantage on any battlefield. I knew that Chrom was going to dispatch one Risen. I knew that the other was going to charge the defenseless Lissa, until "Marth" stopped it. And I was right here, with a sword.

_Granted, I haven't TRAINED much with a sword. Combat fencing training is never the easiest thing to get into, even if you know a few good Renaissance Faire groups. But at least I know how to carry it._

I ignored Chrom, trusting him to end his own Risen. Instead, I focused on the second one, which was rushing Lissa.

_Only it's not rushing Lissa anymore, is it? No, it's heading for me. Well, that's just peachy. All I have to do is avoid the axe and kill it. How hard can it be?_

As I sized up the axe it was carrying and realized that it was larger than my head, I decided it would be better for my mental health to not answer that question. But as the undead menace kept coming, I took some time to think about the situation.

_The Risen really aren't that intelligent, are they? A blind, full-power charge across a dozen meters of open terrain should never be a go-to strategy. There are woods over there, a few forts, plenty of places to ambush or take cover but-AXE!_

The beast had finally closed the distance, and the axe came swinging toward my head far faster than I would have liked. And yet, not as fast as I would have expected. As terrifying as the axe was, it was also relatively easy to evade. A quick step to the side, past the charging foe, took me well out of its range. My sword, held tightly in my hands, cut open the side of the Risen, eviscerating it. Or, at least, it would have, had it been alive.

_And now, I know what Chrom felt like._

But before I had to worry about guarding myself against any further attacks from the beast, a sword cleaves the fiend's head from its shoulders, and the Risen dissolved into dust.

"These creatures are not so easy to fell, you had best keep your wits about you if you wish to stay alive."

_Well, thank you for that, Captain Obvious._

I didn't have time to confront or thank my savior, however. There were more Risen rising around us all the time, and we would need to stop them here. As quickly as I could, I rejoined Robin and Chrom, while the heroically garbed princess turned on the foes forming to our north.

"Are such horrific creatures commonplace in these lands?"

"They're not from Ylisse. I promise you that."

"No, they're not from Ylisse. Or, at least, not directly. They're _RISEN_. Undead warriors animated by magic. There are some elder magic rituals that can call them forth, but I haven't seen them in these numbers before. Fortunately, they're not very intelligent, but they are persistent."

"I saw, the one I fought took more to kill than any man would have."

"Well, there are more in the area. We'd best clear them out before they can harm the local populace, they'll have enough to worry about with the forest fires."

That was about all the time for talking we had, as the foes began to encroach on us again. Lucina was taking on the forces to the north of us, but there were still plenty to the south for us to worry about. As we began preparing to take them on, Robin paired us off. Chrom was backed up by Frederick, while Robin herself backed me up, and Lissa stood back to handle healing.

I was somewhat worried about Robin's pairings. I didn't have enough faith in my own abilities to put myself on the front lines, but I knew better than to challenge the master tactician.

The first Fighter swung his axe at me, and again I managed to sidestep his blow and counter with my own blade. Again, my blade didn't seem to do much to faze the beast, but Robin finished it off with another bolt of lightning and I decided to take that as our rhythm. Dodge an axe, counter with a sword, get away before the foe fries.

"So, what was I like before?"

_Oh, you have GOT to be kidding me._

"What?"

"I don't remember anything before I woke up in the fields with Chrom and Lissa looking down on me. I don't know anything before them. But you've known me longer than that."

_Deflect another axe, stab the Risen…_

"I don't think this is the best time for this."

"Maybe not. But once we're done, promise me."

_I'll give you as much of your past as I can lady. But I don't have all of it._

"Promise."

With that word, I took down the last fighter, and squared off against the remaining foe, a mercenary who came at me with a sword. I was used to dodging the axes fairly easily, but I wouldn't have the weapon triangle on my side for this fight. I'd have to be careful and precise to…

_Wait a second; is that an arrow sticking out of his head?_

It was indeed, heralding the arrival of our forgotten backup, Sully and Virion. With their aid, it wasn't long before the last of the Risen were taken to pieces. I found myself in surprisingly good shape. I was breathing hard, and strained, but otherwise ok.

_I am NOT in this good a shape. Nor have I used a sword that well before. I should not be this good at all this._

But, while I was catching my breath, Lucina decided to reappear and make her cryptic prediction.

"This world teeters at the brink of a horrible calamity. What you saw tonight was but a prelude. You have been warned."

With that the blue haired girl strode turned and left, striding away from the rest of the Shepards, who stood their arguing her meaning. But her route took her towards me, and I was not prepared to let her go so quickly.

"Are you sure a warning is enough, milady?"

She started at this response, and ensured her mask was still in place before addressing me.

"How did you-"

"Not all are as trusting as the Shepards. Your disguise is not perfect, and I do not accept things I see at face value. Regardless, the question stands. Are you sure you are doing enough to avert the calamity of which you spoke?"

She paused, rested her hand on her sword's hilt, and seemed to consider her words carefully before she continued.

"I have done all that I dare do, at this point. But I am sure that we will meet again, in time. Farewell."

With that, she stepped by me and left again.

"_All that she dared do"? I suppose she's worried about rewriting her own future. I guess that makes sense, I don't even know who Chrom's supposed to marry in this timeline._

Still, with Lucina gone, there was little reason to not rejoin the others, where I found Frederick urging us on to the capital.

"We're only a short distance from Ylisstol, and I'm worried that the troubles here may have spread to the capital. We should make haste."

Chrom, however, took a moment to address myself and Robin directly.

"You've aided us with these fights so far, but this is not your battle. While your assistance would be appreciated, I would not force it on you."

_Oh, right. I'm Robin's old friend. I'd probably be expected to have my own goals and destinations in mind._

"I cannot speak for Robin, and I will accompany her where she chooses to go, but I hardly see any problem with helping you deal with these new threats. Especially if we're facing Risen, it may be as much our battle as yours."

Robin also agreed to travel with the Shepards, and our merry group headed off to Ylisstol, to meet with Emmeryn and decide on our next course of action.

* * *

**For those wondering, my character is a combined myrmidon/tactician. Fast, but weak. I can wield tomes, I just haven't figured out how to yet, and I'll probably eventually become a full magic user, as the swords are there to give me something to use before I can pick up tomes.**

**Also, I'd like to say now that it's unfair how much control over a situation characters can wield. For example, I had intended to simply follow Chrom and Lissa to the point that they met Lucina, but I didn't have any way to get Sky to abandon Robin and Frederick in the middle of an oncoming firestorm. So I had to rewrite around that. And that sort of situation keeps popping up. Fortunately, the more important/interesting bits that I have planned are driven by characters, so it shouldn't be as hard going forward.**


	4. Chapter 4 - The Risen Council

**This chapter came out later than I wanted, sorry. I was resting way more than I expected. Where's a Cure Staff when you need it?**

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We arrived in Ylisstol shortly after dawn the following day. The city itself is huge. Probably not as large as any of the major metropolitan centers of today in terms of population or even amount of land it covered, but certainly large enough that any city dweller could easily feel at home in it. The homes were spread as far as the eye could see, broken into neighborhoods along with markets, churches, craft halls, forges, and other buildings. There was, of course, no motor traffic, but that did not leave the roads empty by any means. There were horse driven carts, of course, but the majority of the traffic was simply pedestrians, walking about, living their lives in their beautiful city.

And Ylisstol was beautiful. The game could hardly do justice to it, even had it tried. The palace alone was a magnificent edifice, and the cathedrals and political buildings that surrounded it were all nearly as magnificent. There may have been no skyscrapers, but the architecture itself was so glorious and imposing that you couldn't help but feel impressed anyway.

This was my reaction to the grand city. I ask you then, to imagine Robin's. The poor girl was flabbergasted, and spent most of the time in the middle of the group, just gawking openly as we lead her around toward the palace.

"What's wrong, Robin? Cat got your tongue?" Lissa teased.

Robin finally pulled herself away from the sights, having seen enough that she would be processing it for a while longer, and turned to Lissa. "I can't help it. I didn't expect it to be so beautiful."

Lissa dimpled at this. "Yeah, it really is something, huh? It has to be really overwhelming for you. Ylisstol really is a wonderful city, I'm so glad the quakes and fires didn't spread this far."

Any further discussion was cut off by a clamor among the people on the street.

"It would seem that Exalt Emmeryn is already out among the people, milord." Frederick informed Chrom.

"Isn't the Exalt your ruler? Is it safe for her to walk among the common people?" Robin asked.

"The Exalt is a symbol of peace – Ylisse's most prized quality. She reminds people of the peace the first Exalt fought for when he overthrew the dark dragon at the dawn of our age."

"And with Plegia poking at our borders, she's a calming presence when others might seek war." Chrom continued.

"Then the Ylissean people are indeed lucky to have her." Robin concluded.

I said nothing during this exchange, but merely stood looking on at the Exalt, a slight frown marring my features as I thought of the troubles she has faced, and has yet to face. Her beliefs would not stop the oncoming war, nor would her sacrifice turn the people from Grima, or halt that oncoming calamity.

"She's also the best big sister anyone could ask for!"

Lissa's cheerful cry pulled me from my thoughts, and I broke into a smile as I looked up at her.

"Yes, I imagine she… Wait, what? She's your… But, wouldn't that make you and Chrom…" Robin was starting to get flustered. I did my best to hold in my chuckles, as I watched the look of consternation and embarrassment spread across Robin's face.

"The prince and princess of the realm, yes. You remember Chrom's name but not this?" Frederick replied with a good natured smile.

"You said you were "shepherds"!"

Ok, that did it. I couldn't take it anymore. Robin being embarrassed and flustered was bad enough, but cross that with her indignation at Chrom "holding out on her", and it was just too funny. I cracked up, and was laughing so hard that I nearly doubled over. Robin, though still visibly embarrassed, managed to spear me with a glare that could probably slay wyverns.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I know it's not fair to tease you about this when you lost your memory. But you looked so silly when you were processing all that."

"You don't seem so surprised though. When did you manage to figure it out?"

"Well, I recognized the Brand of the Exalt on his shoulder. Only the royal family of Ylisse bear that Brand, so I've known pretty much since I met him. But even without that, Chrom's clearly a Lord of some manner. Factor in Sir "Obvious Knight of the Realm" Frederick, and I don't think it's too much of a stretch to figure it out."

"You recognized the Brand?" Lissa interjected.

"It's not the first I've seen, milady."

By this point, Chrom had led us into the wake of the Exalt's visit, and we followed her into the palace itself. Once we were all safely inside, Emmeryn turned to face us.

"Welcome back Chrom, and Lissa. How fare you all?"

"Well, we shouldn't have any more bandit problems for a while. But we will need to continue to keep an eye on our borders. The brigands came from Plegia. We fought them off, but we then encountered the deathly creatures that we faced last night. Without our new companions, I'm not sure how well Southtown would have survived."

"Your companions than have my thanks. But these new foes are worrying. Phila tells me that they've been spotted all over Ylisse since last night. We were preparing to hold a council to discuss them, could you join us, Chrom?"

"Of course, Emm. Could Sky join us as well? He recognized the beasts, and has some information on them."

I opened my mouth to dispute this, and promptly shut it again. Chrom was correct; I did have more information on the Risen than anyone else.

_And another assumption comes back to bite me on the rear. I think I need to start planning my sequence breaking a LITTLE bit in advance._

Lissa led Robin away to go look at the Shepard's HQ, while I followed Frederick and Phila to the council meeting. Various lords from Ylisse's nobility were in attendance, very few of whom I recognized. I was able to spot the Hierarch, but most of the others I didn't know until they were introduced.

The Council itself went about as well as could be expected. The words "Council of Elrond" would be too kind to describe it to anyone who was basing their opinion off the movies instead of the books. There were so many different nobles of varying rank and conflicting positions that I couldn't even try to keep them all in order.

"_How are you keeping track of all this?"_ I whispered to Chrom. He just shrugged his shoulders and whispered back something about having a lot of practice.

While Chrom had a fairly large role throughout the Council (as might be expected of a Prince, even if he disliked it), my own role was relatively minor. The majority of the Council was a discussion on the Risen's attacks thus far, and arguments about military support for various portions of the Halidom. As important as they may seem, the Shepards turned out to only be a relatively small portion of the military might of Ylisse. Militias were commonplace, and each of the major noble lords had a direct hand in the running of their own military forces.

_Of course, HAVING their own military doesn't mean that the nobles don't want others to cover their troubles for them. Of course, the Shepards can't handle all the Risen alone, we have our own missions to accomplish. I guess this is why getting Feroxi support is so important._

"In our haste to ensure our people are protected, I think we are overlooking some crucial details. What can you tell us about our new foes themselves? Do they have any weaknesses? Is there any easy way to stop them?"

I jumped up slightly as the new voice rang out through the hall. I had nearly phased out the Council entirely in my boredom. Looking toward the man who spoke, I realize that I had previously overlooked him. He was a heavyset man with a definite air of nobility. I didn't recall him saying much in the earlier parts of the Council. But now that he had spoken, it seemed clear that a great deal of the other nobles had listened to him, and were similarly looking to Chrom and myself for some reply.

Chrom, for his part, looked down at me with a bemused half grin before speaking "I think Duke Themis is correct, Sky. Whatever information we can get on these beasts would be helpful to defending the halidom."

_Oh, sure, pass the buck. Don't think I'll let you get away with this so easily, Chrom. I'll get you back somehow. After I deal with the bloody politicians, I suppose._

I step up to the dais in front of me as Chrom steps down, clear my voice, and try not to pass out. Public speaking has never been one of my strong points, ok?

"Well, to start with, they're not beasts. They aren't alive in any regular sense of the word. They are animated almost solely by magic. They are, for the most part, no stronger than a man, but their weaknesses differ. Since they aren't actually alive, they won't die from loss of blood or organ trauma. That aside, however, they depend on their most important organs as much as we do. Loss of the heart or brain should eliminate one immediately."

"They are also, fortunately, almost completely mindless. They have no real goals apart from slaughter and mayhem, but they advance those goals through instinct and set behaviors. For the most part, they act incredibly predictably, and that can easily be used against them. They have a tendency to focus on the weak and vulnerable first, while ignoring more dangerous targets. They also act with a distinct lack of self-preservation or strategy. They'll rush the sick and wounded, or the women and children of a village, regardless of terrain or obstacles."

Emmeryn suddenly looked my way, a look of absolute shock on her face. "Our people will not be used as bait, no matter how expedient it may be from a military point of view!"

"Of course not, milady. Your people should be well defended, inside the strongest buildings or forts around, and the doors will be well guarded. But the Risen will go after them anyway. As they try to find the best way to get at the weaker targets, the military can pick them off on the way, or attack them en masse. The Risen will defend themselves against attackers, but won't hunt out the military units until they get close enough to attack directly. We're not using them as bait; we're merely acknowledging how the Risen will react around them."

Duke Themis contemplated this for a time, and then spoke up again. "Even if we can count on the Risen to behave predictably, dealing with them will still be a drain on our military forces. If we're to continue fighting the bandits that Plegia is sending our way, we'll need more numbers to augment our forces."

Lady Emmeryn turned to Chrom at this. "I agree. I think it wise to send an envoy to Ragna Ferox, to try to enlist their aid. An alliance with them would help secure our borders and fight off these Risen until they can be stopped for good. Can I trust you and the Shepards to secure that alliance, Chrom?"

The Hierarch objected to this. "We're beset by foes and you're going to send our best fighters away on a mission of diplomacy, milady?"

"The Feroxi respect strength and honor, Hierarch. A lesser envoy could be seen as an insult, and we may need the might of the Shepards to prove our worth to them. Don't worry, though. We'll be back as quickly as we can. We don't intend to leave Ylisse weakened any longer than we have to."

Chrom's rebuttal seemed to settle the Council, and it was only another fifteen minutes or so before we were finally excused from the chamber.

"If I never have to talk to another politician again, it will not be too soon." I grumbled, as Chrom led us out of the palace.

"Heh. You didn't handle yourself too badly, for a beginner. Gods know it took me several tries before I could attend those without making a mess of things. Don't worry about it too much; you probably won't have to show up to the next Council anyway. It's time to get you introduced to the rest of the Shepards, and get you settled into our headquarters before we leave."

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**Also, I feel obligated to point out that I originally had no intention of writing this chapter. I was planning to skip right to the Shepard's HQ, introducing the rest of the team, and getting some relaxation and support conversations in. Alas, when replaying the chapter to see how closely I needed to follow the script (I try not to take the script directly, as I feel it would be rather boring, both to read and write), when I noticed the "Council meeting", and realized that my character, having expressed knowledge of the Risen, would be dragged off to that whether I wanted it or not. Oh well, I had fun writing it, and it did set up some potential for future dealings with Chrom and Maribelle, so it's not a total loss. Hopefully you all enjoyed it as well.**


	5. Chapter 5 - A Night's Rest

**To everyone who is reading and enjoying this story, I most humbly apologize. This delay was entirely unintended. I ran out of pain pills, and there was simply no way I could sit down to type without experiencing massive pain. Only after my follow-up doctor's appointment did I realize that I had refills to use. I've still got about a month of recovery, if not longer, but hopefully I'll be able to get through it pain-free.**

**Thank you for bearing with the delays, and for enjoying the story. I do have oh-so-much-more planned in my head.**

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I threw my hand up in front of my eyes as we exited the palace. As well lit as the council chambers may have been, the midday sun was far brighter. I was able to fall in behind Chrom as he led us down the avenue, only to nearly bump into him when he stopped at the Shepard's barracks a short distance later.

"And here we are: the Shepard's barracks. We'll go inside and introduce you to your fellows, and get you situated before we leave for Ragna Ferox."

We hadn't come that far, so the Shepard's base was clearly built in close proximity to the palace. Good, a sensible decision, especially with a royal leading the Shepards. As my eyes finally fully adjusted, I looked up at my new home. And then I looked up some more.

"Chrom, are you sure this is the right building? You said 'barracks', not 'manse'."

Chrom let out a hearty laugh before he opened the door for me. "It wasn't built as a barracks, it was donated to us and we converted it for our use. At least it means it'll be easy to find you a place to settle in, though."

As I entered I found myself inside was the large hallway where Robin had been introduced to the Shepards in the game. As Chrom and I entered, he called out to the rest of the Shepards, announcing his return.

"Oh, captain! I'm so glad you're-"

I turned to look at the speaker, but before I could see who it was, a loud crash reached my ears, echoing through the room. Turning toward the crash, I saw a young woman collapsed face-first on the ground.

"Oh my gosh, are you all right?"

I quickly knelt down beside the poor girl, before my brain caught up with events and informed me that this was Sumia.

"Oh, I'm fine, it's just these blasted shoes. Ugh. I'm so sorry." I helped Sumia to her feet, and she turned to Chrom as she started brushing herself off. "I'm so glad you made it back safely, captain. Lissa told us of your journey. Those Risen creatures are worrying."

"Don't worry, Sumia. Everyone's all right, and we got some new recruits out of it. Lissa probably introduced you to Robin, and this is Sky."

I nodded to Sumia as she smiled and welcomed me, but couldn't help but notice something odd.

"Where are the rest of the Shepards?"

"Oh! They're getting ready to eat. You were gone longer than we expected, and it's nearly time for dinner."

Chrom smiled at this. "Well, we might as well go eat then. I have some news for the Shepards, and it will be convenient to have us all in one place."

Chrom strode towards the mess hall, sweeping Sumia and I along in his wake. I glanced over at the Pegasus Knight as we walked along. She never took her eyes off Chrom, nor did she ever drop the slight, faraway smile she had.

_Yep, _she's_ clearly got a thing for the prince. Is that the ship that's sailing in this world? Or is it to be as unrequited as Cordelia's?_

As I entered the mess hall and sat down at the dining table, I got my first glance at the rest of the Shepards.

_Well, the game captured them all well, despite the stylization of the art. But do I give credit to the artist, or to whatever created or changed this world? There's Vaike, even if the fact that he wasn't wearing a shirt sort of gave it away. The prim and proper one was clearly Maribelle. There was Miriel with her iconic hat and glasses. That's definitely Ricken next to her. And there is Stahl, green armor and messy hair. So we've met Stahl and Ricken already? That happened sooner than it should have. How much is going to change from the way the game played out?_

I thought about this as I took my seat, until my mind was distracted further by the food. I have to say, I wasn't exactly looking forward to it. We'd had roast bear, and a few travel biscuits on our way into the city, but this was my first time actually having a full meal here in Ylisse. Meat over a fire is hard to mess up (even if it was under seasoned and not to my particular taste), and a hard bread is still bread. But anyone who knows anything about the history of food can tell you that cooking has changed quite a bit, even in recent history.

Fortunately, my fears seemed largely unfounded. While there were some cultural differences (a whole roast pig would never be welcome at my dining table), the meal was quite excellent. It was also served with goblets of water. I had tried to avoid water, except what was in the skin I was given, due to concerns about purification, and I would have taken wine, ale, or even mead (which I had always wanted to try), since alcohol kills microbes, even if it does taste vile. But at this point, I was too thirsty to continue.

_And the water seems fine as well. It's almost crystal clear, and cold. I'll have to work the kitchens one day to see how this is pulled off._

Before I got much further into the food, however, Chrom spoke up. "The Shepards are going to be departing to Regna Ferox. This is a volunteer mission, but anyone who wants to go is will be welcome. It's a diplomatic mission, but we'll be dealing with the Feroxi, so we'd best be prepared for a struggle."

"Regna Ferox?" Robin asked, clearly out of the loop.

_Hey, something I can answer._

"It's the nation to the north of Ylisse. The Feroxi people are a hardy race of warriors that value strength incredibly highly. They're honorable and forthright, but they can be stubborn, and they prefer to trust actions over words."

"Then they're sure to like the Vaike!" Vaike stretches his arm and flexes his biceps as he exclaims this, showing off some quite substantial muscles.

"Ugh, you would fit in perfectly among those savages", Maribelle utters in revulsion at Vaike's display.

Chrom shakes his head at this. "They're warriors, Maribelle. They're only savage to the degree which their land and country is. They're good honorable people. And we're trying to make an alliance with them."

Maribelle blushed slightly at this, and nodded. "I apologize Chrom, I was simply disgusted by Vaike's mannerisms. Do try to behave well at the table, sir, even if you are incapable of it at other times."

"Hey, what are you saying? The Vaike can be perfectly well behaved!"

"I'll believe _that_, when I see it."

"Is that a challenge?!"

"It certainly is. If you claim you can be cultured, you should be able to prove it."

_Is Maribelle seriously going to challenge Vaike's stubbornness to get him to act gentlemanly? Oh, this is going to be good._

Vaike immediately straightens himself and lowers the joint of meat he was chewing on back to his plate. He carefully picks up a fork and knife (looking rather unsure of himself the entire time), and slices a miniscule portion of meat off the bone before lifting it to his mouth and eating it. By the time he starts his second bite I'm struggling not to laugh, as Vaike's daintiness is simply hilarious. I'm saved, however, when Lissa bursts out laughing ahead of me.

"Lissa! Since when do you find good manners amusing?!" Maribelle inquires, with a rather shocked tone of voice.

"Since _Vaike_ is the one using them. It's like watching Chrom try to dance!" Lissa replies, as she continues giggling. Vaike, whose face is thoroughly red by this point, lowers his silverware and glares at her. For his part, Chrom also turns red almost immediately upon hearing his sister's words. He shifts awkwardly and looks down at his place for the next few minutes.

The lively discussions continue throughout dinner, and I never do get a chance to fully introduce myself to the rest of the Shepards. Afterwards, Lissa grabs me and practically drags me off to my room, still as lively as ever, even after the very filling meal.

"And you'll be staying here whenever the Shepards are in the capital. Robin is just next door. Don't spend too long together though; we're leaving in the morning, so you'll need to get some sleep."

I settle into my room. The bed is very soft, and it's nice to really relax.

_Finally, I get a chance to calm down and think things through. I'm definitely in Ylisse, somehow. We seem to be playing through roughly the events of _Awakening_. But I need to figure out a way back, and, if I can, how I got-_

My quiet reverie is broken by a knock at the door. I pick myself up off the bed and call out. "Who is there?"

"It's me."

_Robin. So Lissa told her where I was. Wonderful. Well, I chose my own backstory; I'll have to deal with it sometime. It might as well be now._

I open the door and invite her in. She enters and settles into the chair at my desk, as I sit back down on the bed. We share a moment of awkward silence, before both speaking up together.

"So, what did-"

"I was wondering-"

We both halted, and then laughed at our synchronicity, breaking the ice a little.

"You wanted to know about the time before you lost your memory." I stated. She simply nodded, wide-eyed.

"I'm not sure how helpful I can be. You weren't really any different. More confident, more comfortable, but, you were still you. Your mannerisms, your personality, they haven't changed. You have a quick mind. You excel at both strategy and tactics, and have a knack for getting along with and caring under the soldiers at your command."

"But how did you know me?"

I turn to face her at this, unsure of what she meant. She was looking at me, almost plaintively, and I feel a tug at my heart as I realize that she is just searching for _some_ connection to her past. I pitied the poor girl beside me, and felt revulsion for the connection I had faked in my haste and worry.

"You were going on a dangerous trip for a long time, possibly all your life. You needed someone to protect you, someone you knew and could trust. That's why I went along, because you needed a friend on the road."

"And where did that road take us?"

I smirk at this, as I respond "Into legends. We travelled through the Outrealm gate, from world to world, helping all we could. We spent the longest time in Elibe. We met Lady Lyndis, of Sacae. We helped her reclaim her homeland and then fought alongside her as she struck out against an evil which threatened her world. We made many friends, and faced much hardship and loss."

"If we had so many friends in the Outrealms, why did we come back here?"

I stopped for a minute, gazing at her, as I tried to think of an answer. "That, I cannot tell you. You wanted to return. I'm not sure why. I think you always intended to return at some point. You were always a student of tactics, always pushing to learn something new. Maybe you finally felt like you knew enough to make a difference back home. Or maybe you simply missed it badly enough to return."

She grows quiet at this, and stares off in the distance, and when she speaks, it is as though she is talking to herself, not me. "Whatever my reasons, they're useless. I've lost everything. If I hoped to see my family or home, I wouldn't know them again. If I wanted to help my home, I've forgotten what must be done. And whatever friends I had across the realms are gone as well. I'm alone, and lost, drifting aimlessly."

I stood beside her, hesitant for a minute as she stared at the empty corner, before placing my hand on her shoulder. "You're not alone, though, milady. I'm still here, and will be here if ever you need me. And you're not aimless. We have a place here, and friends. Chrom and the Shepards hold us as their own. We'll help them, and together, we'll help to make this world better, just as we did to others on our travels."

She smiled up at me at this, and then rose and gave me a quick hug. "Thanks. I needed to hear that, I think."

With that, she left the room, and I settled back down on my bed.

_I suppose I should try to get some sleep. We'll have a long day's march tomorrow, and then a battle, if things go as they should._

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**Some minor story inconsistencies. Ever notice how Chrom goes to the Council while Lissa takes Robin to the garrison, and then Chrom's there thirty seconds later? Yeah, since I actually had the council meeting, I chose to give a time delay, rather than have Lissa take hours wandering Ylisstol (as much fun as that might be).**

**But nothing ever works out how I intend. I had planned to have Sky push Robin away a little at this point. He'd be trying to not impose on her, since they weren't really friends, and she'd take it as him being upset about her, or her memory loss, to be patched up later. But I just couldn't bring myself to be that mean to the amnesiac. We'll get a little bit of those issues later, but only once more of the world's story is revealed, and starts to take its toll on Sky.**

**Please continue to review it if you enjoy it, feedback does help. Oh, and feel free to guess the shipping I'll be going with. I definitely have some planned. But, if its anything like the rest of this story, the relationships will probably force their own paths on me as well. :)**


	6. Chapter 6 - The Long Road North

**As a couple of you have pointed out, I spelled Shepherds wrong. The weird thing is, I KNEW I was spelling it wrong. Heck, it even popped up regularly on my spell check. The thing is, I remember looking that word up in-game when I started this story, and I swore I was spelling it the way the game did. So, yeah, I'm just going to blame that one on the head trauma and/or pain medication.**

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Sleep. Of all my various indulgences, it's perhaps the most constant. A shift of mood may leave me with no desire to read. A new whim may take my interest from a game. And, in comparison to other hobbies, sleep may be a tad dull. But it never loses its charm. No matter how life's troubles pile up, or what tortures the day may bring, I can always enjoy my time spent adrift in slumber, my mind ensorcelled within its own fantastical creations.

_Until some jerk starts making way too much noise._

I struggle to try to remain asleep or at least resting in bed, hesitant to get up and face the world. But, alas, to no avail. The building only seems to grow more active, and I can't block it out.

_My alarm did not go off. That makes it a day off. That means I can sleep in. SHUT UP._

My pleas, alas, go unheard. This is, in itself, not a surprise. Very rarely once people wake up and start their daily activity do they halt again because of a mental request (but when they do, ah, how wonderful). The surprise comes from my door bursting open and someone calling in.

"Get up, Sky! We've got to get ready; we'll be marching in less than two hours."

I heave myself up, struggling to process this for a minute, before my senses sharpen and I realize that I'm not in my bed, nor in my room. The door that burst open wasn't, in fact mine. I'm in Ylisse.

No sooner does that process through than I quickly leap out of bed and get to work. I mean, sure, I'm stuck in either an alternate dimension or a complete psychotic hallucination, but either way, there is no point in wasting time complaining about it. A few hours may seem like a lot of time, but not when you're preparing for a cross country march.

_Let's see. Given that I'm wearing a robe with some linen undergarments (or is that "smallclothes"?), and every character has their own iconic outfit or class uniform, I'm going to guess that medieval laundry is a safe bet. So my robe's probably fine for now, but I need to find some new smallclothes._

Ensuring I was still relatively decent, I poke my head out of my room to see Sully walking down the hall.

_Not the first question I'd like to ask a new compatriot, but at least she probably won't give me grief about it._

"Hey, Sully, right? I'm still a little new here. Can you tell me where I can find some new smallclothes?"

She barely pauses in her walk, merely looking back with a grin on her face and calling back a response over her shoulder.

"Frederick usually takes care of that. There should be some on the cabinet in your room. Can't talk now, though, I've gotta get to the stables. Welcome to the Shepherds."

I step back inside, and, sure enough, there's a set of smallclothes folded neatly on the dresser.

_Wow, they even fit fairly well. Points for the steward-knight, I guess._

Beyond that, however, there was little I could do but inspect the pack I had. I didn't have any other belongings to pack, anything else to take; just a handful of books and some minor supplies.

_At least it makes packing easy, I guess._

As I settled the pack onto my shoulder, I moved back out to the main hall, which was crowded with Shepherds moving back and forth about their business, talking with each other the entire time. None of them, however, seemed to be carrying much more than I was. As I notice some Shepherds entering and leaving the building, I poke my head outside, where I see a couple of large carts, already looking packed and ready for travel, with Chrom, Robin, and Frederick fussing over them.

"Frederick, it doesn't matter how space-efficient your system is, we need to keep items organized and easily accessible, especially weapons. If we need a third cart, fine, but we need the Shepherds to be able to arm themselves quickly and switch armaments easily at need."

Frederick looks as though he wants to contest this, but he simply nods curtly. "I'll go see about getting another cart then."

Chrom smiles at Robin as Frederick walks off. "Heh. It's rare for anyone to get the better of Frederick when it comes to organization. Even Miriel usually agrees with him. He's such a stickler for efficiency."

"Efficiency means different things in different circumstances, Chrom. While being frugal and keeping things tightly packed is admirable, we have to keep ourselves ready for combat. _Especially_ since we don't know when we'll be struck, or where the Risen have gotten to."

"I wasn't disagreeing with you Robin, I'm just impressed that you managed to change Frederick's mind. That's not an easy task, believe me."

With no real opportunity to make myself known, I just decide to chip in here. "Hello, Robin. Chrom. How are the preparations going?"

Robin starts suddenly, apparently not having expected another person nearby. Chrom, however, just turns to me and speaks calmly. "We're doing well. Most of the Shepherds are ready, and the convoy will be ready to travel once Frederick gets back and we split up the weapon load."

"Do you need me anywhere?"

As Frederick comes back with a third wagon, Robin quickly starts indicating how the weapons should be split up, and what should go in the third wagon. The weapon load was actually relatively light, but it was clear that Robin was organizing it for long-term planning, and expanding it as we got more. But for today, there were only a few swords and lances to move, and a couple of tomes to shift.

"Hey, Robin, do we need all of these?"

"Well, not strictly, these are spares, but weapons break in combat all the time, and it's always good to have-"

"No, I mean the tomes. Can I borrow one?"

"Oh. I suppose so. My Thunder tome's still good, and Miriel has a brand new Fire tome, so, sure, feel free."

"Thanks. We won't get in trouble for this?"

Robin let out a very pleasant laugh, displaying some genuine happiness for one of the first times since I'd met her, something I was very pleased to see. She then looked back to me with a very amused smirk on her face.

"No. Chrom gave me permission to dole out the weapons as I see fit, being our tactician and all. Just remember to ask me permission and everything will be ok."

"Yes, ma'am!" I respond crisply, before breaking into a grin of my own. As I finish up the loading, I pick up the Fire tome I had indicated and shifted it into my pack. With the wagons loaded and the Shepherds ready, we ate a quick breakfast, and started our journey to the north.

An hour later, and I was seriously considering finding a way to reclass to a mounted unit. I don't have anything against walking, mind you, but I'd already been on my feet most of the past two days, and I was quickly getting to the point where I wanted a break. I was trying to calculate distance and time in my head, but, unfortunately, the game isn't the best source for this. I had no way of knowing if we'd find the Risen today, or, if we did, how long it would be. I was lost in thought, trying to calculate out how far we had to go, when I heard a few clops behind me, and turned to see Frederick there, leading his armored horse.

"Might I speak with you for a moment, Sky?"

"Um, sure, Frederick. What do you need?"

"I merely had some questions for you. When we met the Exalt, you said that you recognized the Brand, that you had seen it before."

"That's right."

"You also said that you and Robin had both left this realm many years ago. That you had fled into the Outrealms and hadn't been back until shortly before we found Robin."

"…Um, yes..?"

Frederick looked ahead to the front of the column for a moment, and then spoke again, softly. "You also seemed troubled when you saw the Exalt. You had a rather worried expression on your face as you gazed upon her. Few who see her for the first time react that way. I would ask you, what is your history with the Brand of the Exalt?"

_Oh, darn. So I allay Frederick's suspicions about Robin, only to kindle them about myself due to my extra knowledge. Robin comes from Plegia. If I did too, and that's where we met the Grimleal, we never would have possibly met Chrom or Emmeryn, and they were both too young anyway. How would we have… Ah._

I continue to walk, staring blankly, not looking at Frederick. When I respond, I do so with no real expression or enthusiasm in my voice.

"You know we were troubled by the Grimleal, Frederick. Do you know, then, where we lived?"

He pauses to consider this for a moment. "If I had to guess, I would say Plegia. Even though there are few Grimleal left there zealous enough to cause trouble, it is the religion of the land."

"Then you should know where I saw the Brand of the Exalt."

Frederick draws his breath in sharply at this, almost recoiling from my flat reply as though struck, his face unguarded for the first time in the conversation. "You were there during the war, when the last Exalt marched into Plegia."

I simply nodded slowly.

"That was… Ylisse is not proud of that war. It was not our best moment. It cost Ylisse nearly as much as it did Plegia. Whatever losses you might have suffered, Ylisse understands them, and we wish we could make them whole. But know that the war ended with the last Exalt, many years ago. Emmeryn, above all, has tried to earn forgiveness for that war, to make up for those troubles. You should not blame her for her father's actions."

As he spoke, his face grew blank and cold. He may be too disciplined to put his hand on his sword, but, knowing him, I knew where his thoughts were going. If I were a threat to the Exalt, or Chrom, he'd end me right there. I remained silent as I struggled to cope with the reality of that threat, trying to get my heart rate back under control and continue to speak normally.

"They were her father's actions, not her own. She need not seek forgiveness for them. I do not blame a child for the sins of the father. If I did, there are friends I would not have today. I did not look at her with anger or a desire for revenge. I was gazing at Emmeryn with pity. For what she must have gone through, for what she must still be going through, to take charge of Ylisse after that war. Pity, and admiration. Choosing to bear that burden is something I don't think I could do. That she did so speaks very highly of her. Ylisse has every right to be proud of its current Exalt."

I pause for a minute, and the two of us march together in silence, before I speak up again.

"And I never blamed Ylisse for the war."

Frederick looks over at me, startled at this declaration. "What do you mean?"

"I told you, we were chased out by the Grimleal, not by the Exalt. When the Exalt marched to Plegia, he did so with the intention of ending the Grimleal. While his methodology was wrong, I do not blame the intention. I know, more than most, the threat the Grimleal pose. Where do you think I got my knowledge of the Risen? They used these creatures, long before this uprising. I do not agree with the Exalt's war, but I understand its purpose, and I wish that purpose could have been achieved."

The two of us continued to walk in silence for a time, each pursuing their own thoughts, before Frederick led his horse away, up towards the front of the line.

Frederick's departure did not mark the end of my brooding, however.

_I'm still causing problems and breeding suspicion. But have I done anything to make things better? I smoothed over Frederick and Robin's relationship a little, I suppose. But what else? What else COULD I have done at this point? The plot doesn't really get moving until we get back from Regna Ferox, right? We come back, the war starts… Oh, snap, Maribelle. I forgot to give her, or even her father, any warning._

I cursed myself softly for my lack of foresight. Granted, if all followed the story well, Maribelle would be rescued by the Shepherds anyway, but it was still something that I might have been able to change for the better that I missed. Of course, putting her on guard could result in her being hurt _worse_, so maybe letting events play out there was for the best. I continued thinking through the situation, looking for anywhere my knowledge might be able to help, but I seemed at a loss until shortly before the assassination attempt.

When I noticed my ideas circling around and repeating, I shook off my stupor and began to look to the road ahead. The forest continued on either side of the road. But far in the distance, I could see buildings.

_Two forts, flanking the road. That means…_

A chill went up my gut as I realized we were quite possibly nearing the location of the next encounter with the Risen. I quickened my pace, pushing ahead to reach Chrom.

_Wait, forget Chrom, Vaike first. Make sure he has his damn axe, that's the best way I can help here._

I passed Vaike on the right flank as I was moving forward. A quick glance showed that, at this point at least, he still had his axe. I continued toward the center, hoping to catch Chrom. Before I could, however, Lissa called to me.

"Hey, Sky! What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost!"

_Do I really look that frightened? Wait, no time._

"Lissa, I need to talk to your brother. I have a bad feeling about the current area. Have our scouts spotted anything amiss?"

"Well, I don't think so, Chrom would have said so if something had come up. But Sully is our only scout right now. Stahl apparently didn't march with us, for some reason."

_Wait, what? He was at dinner yesterday. Even if I HADN'T seen him, there's no way he would have missed the meal. So how did he miss Chrom's announcement?_

I shake off my doubts, and address Lissa again. "Can I talk to your brother?"

She's looking decidedly wary at this point. "Of course. Tell Robin too. If something is coming up, we'll all need to be ready for it. I'll warn the other Shepherds."

It takes me a moment to process what she was saying, and when I do, I try to stop her. I don't _know_ that we're about to enter into a combat situation, so spreading panic isn't a good idea. But, by the time I realize what she's doing, she's already nearly to Frederick.

_Well, fortunately he shouldn't put too much stock in such a thing. Still, I need to remember just how fanciful Lissa can be. Not the best of the Shepherds for keeping secrets._

"Chrom, Robin!"

As I call out to them, I realize that they were chatting pleasantly before I interrupted them, and I feel a quick wash of guilt that I interrupted their conversation.

_Maybe it was a support conversation! Could I even actually interrupt one of those? Wait a sec, supports aren't unlocked yet. Oh, forget it, more important things._

"What's wrong, Sky?" Chrom asks. The smile has slipped from his face, but he still seems pleasant and upbeat, so he hadn't noticed anything either.

"I just… I had an ill feeling, Chrom. I'm worried. It's just a cold gnawing in my gut, but then again, the last time I felt that way, the land and sky split asunder and the Risen appeared, so I figured it was best to alert you all. Has Sully reported anything?"

"No, nothing as of her last return. We'll be at the river crossing in probably twenty minutes or so. The forest thins on the other side of the river, and the forts on either side of the bridge should give us some excellent visibility, so we should be able to spot any trouble soon enough."

I try not to show it, but this has me worried even more, as, in the game, the Risen struck _before_ the river crossing. While I'm trying to think of how to express my concern in a way that doesn't make me sound nuts, however, I hear a cry from behind us.

"W-wait for me!"

I turn back, and spot Stahl riding up behind us. Chrom's face adopts a stern look before he responds.

"Stahl?"

"Why didn't I get the information on when we were supposed to march today? Usually you tell us when we leave, but I didn't get any word. I was off walking my horse, and you were all gone when I got back. I didn't even get to eat breakfast! I've been trying to catch up all day, and I'd probably still be coming if Miriel didn't spot me and drop back to give me a bread roll."

Lissa, who had followed Stahl up to see Chrom, looked surprised at this. "Vaike was supposed to tell you when…" she starts, then pauses and looks over at Vaike, walking to our right. "Did you forget to pass on the morning departure to Stahl?"

Vaike has the decency to look ashamed of himself, but he blustered and came back. "The Vaike never forgets! …I just don't always remember, is all…" As he says this he lets go of his axe, which falls softly and silently behind him, unnoticed by the rest of the group, and reaches up to scratch his head.

_Bingo. Two mysteries solved. Vaike was in charge of passing on deployment information, not the mission itself. And, really, trusting that to Vaike? C'mon, Lissa, you should know better. Or was that Robin's choice? Eh, either way, bad call. And THERE is Vaike's axe. But this would seem to mean we're right on schedule for the Risen. Where the heck is Sully?_

Not bothering with subtlety anymore, I call out to the group. "Stahl, it's great to have you with us. I'm growing more concerned by the minute, though. Sully hasn't reported back yet, but I can't shake the feeling that we're about to be attacked. Could you scout the area quickly?"

"CHROM!" Before anyone could even respond, Sully's clear voice shatters the air, and the next thing we see is her riding back on her horse, clearly in a hurry to reach us. "Risen, all around the river."

"Gods, they've spread this far already?" He hesitates for a brief second, then immediately turns to the Shepherds. "RISEN! PREPARE FOR BATTLE!" Man, that guy can bellow. I'd be shocked if everyone in the area, even the Risen on the other side of the river couldn't hear him. He then looks at Robin. "What's the plan?"

Robin immediately begins to issue orders, breaking the Shepherds into formation and ensuring that Virion and Lissa were protected. As the Shepherds respond, however, Vaike lets out a cry.

"My axe! Where's my axe."

I'd picked it up after Chrom had alerted the team, but had yet to return it. Time to fix that. "Vaike, here! You dropped it when Stahl arrived." I move over and hand it over to him.

"Thanks, Sky, you're a lifesaver!"

Robin is looking slightly annoyed by this development. "So you've got your axe now? Good. Sky, stay with him and cover our right flank. Virion, behind them."

"Of course, milady."

_Virion and Vaike? Not my favorite Shepherds, but there aren't a lot of options at this point anyway, and second guessing the master tactician is probably a bad idea._

Some of the Risen had apparently either spotted us, or were following Sully back from her scouting trip. Very shortly the first wave came into view.

_Axe and Sword first, then a Lance shortly behind, fun._

I knew I'd have better luck against the Axe-wielder, but I also knew that would leave Vaike at the mercy of the Merc, which would likely not be healthy for him. So I gestured to Vaike to take the Fighter, and squared off against the more lethal sword carrier. I drew my sword, and took a deep breath. The Risen were nearly upon us.

_I can't wait for them to come to us, or they'll overwhelm Virion. I have to strike, now._

With that thought, I readied my blade and charged. The Risen swung as I came into view. I moved my sword up to block, and his crashed against my own. My foe wasn't stymied for long, however, and quickly curved his blade around and swung again, this time aiming low for my gut. I barely manage to get out of range by throwing myself to the side, using my sword to counterbalance so I don't fall. The Risen, its blow having missed, is thrown off balance, and while it recovers, I quickly strike. My blade is too low, so I have a bad angle, but I can't let the opportunity pass, and I swing the sword across its chest, cutting it from hip to shoulder. It staggers at this, and I quickly press the advantage to reverse the stroke, giving myself more leverage and taking my cut further into the beast. As my blade passes through its chest, I can _hear_ the sickening cracking of its ribs, but I don't pull my blow, and as my sword continues on, the beast collapses into dust.

_One down, two to go, I wonder how Vaike and Virion are doing with the Fighter?_

I turn to my left to catch sight of how my partners are doing with their foe, only for the lance wielder from before to take up all of my vision. With an unnatural scream, it thrusts its lance straight forward. I'm left with basically no time. I try to pull away, but I already know that I don't have time to dodge the lance, which strikes me squarely in the right shoulder.

My scream is probably louder than Chrom's earlier shout. I've never coped particularly well with pain, and that blow hurt worse than most things. I drop my sword, my right arm being effectively useless at this point, and reach forward with my left hand.

_Can't…reach…the…Risen. Can't…even…punch it. Have to do something. THINK. ARGH._

I grab the lance and drop my weight onto it. While I don't rip it out of the hands of the Risen, I do keep it from withdrawing it. It shifts it grip and prepares to pull again, while I lay my weight into keeping it down. Then I suddenly find myself collapsing to the ground in pain, with the lance no longer holding my weight.

"You thought you could hurt one of the Vaike's friends, did you?" This time it's clear that Vaike's voice does not hinder his actions, for as he speaks his axe is swinging clear through the Risen's neck, and it collapses to dust almost immediately.

I realize, somewhat belatedly, that Vaike must have cut through the lance in a similar fashion. As the shock starts to build up, I giggle slightly.

_Weapon durability my tokhes._

While I'm giggling, I suddenly notice the pain has stopped, and I quickly pull myself together and try to get my arm in a position to lift myself back up. Then the pain came back, albeit not as strong. Within a few seconds, the pain fades again, and, as I stand up, I glance down at the wound and notice that it is gone too. Looking around, I see Lissa nearby, smiling and waving.

_Note to self: Healing hurts. Try not to need it._

With the feeling back in my arm and my pain gone now that the healing was completed, I reach down to pick my sword back up, and turn back to the fight. A fourth lance wielder had joined our side of the fight, but it already had an arrow in its shoulder, and before either I or Vaike could get to it, it was incinerated by a fireball from behind us.

"I apologize for the delay. I hope I am not too late."

I turn to Miriel. "I think you've only finished off the first wave. There should be more across the river. I don't think they know we're here yet, though. Risen tend to not be the most observant entities, nor the most communicative."

"Well, a river's not going to stop the Vaike! I'll bring the fight wherever they want to hide!"

I can't keep the grin off my face. As bad as his planning and tactics may be, his enthusiasm certainly has a way of putting you in a good mood. "I don't think we should, Vaike. We'll need to get all the Shepherds across as close together as possible, hit them hard and fast before they can react. We might also want to scope out the forts, see what other foes are around or if we'll need their defenses."

Virion smiles, and takes advantage of the lull in the action to bow with a flourish. "Indeed, sir, but we cannot delay too long. These foes could attack the ladies, or escape and attack the nearby villages."

As if in response to him, however, we hear Robin's voice echoing to us. "That's the last of the Risen before the river, advance to the forts, but don't yet step on the bridge!"

"You heard the lady, Virion, and I know you wouldn't think to deny her. Let's move."

As we draw close I can see that the "forts" are actually more a guard station that what I would consider a fort. Built for defense against a small group of bandits, perhaps, but in no way ready to hold off an army of any size.

With the Shepherds in place and in formation, Robin caught my eye, held up her open hand toward me, and then rotated her wrist, tilting her hand toward the river.

_I think that's our signal to move. She didn't do anything to indicate only one person or a scout, so I guess that's all of us. I suppose she's trying to conserve the element of surprise._

I call to my teammates, speaking as softly as I can while catching all their attention, and then we charge the bridge. Across the water there is almost no cover except for the two remaining forts. The Risen wandering the other side, however, ignore them. As soon as we step on the bridge we're spotted, and the second half of the battle is joined.

With the same group composition as we faced on the other side, I choose to use the same tactics, refusing to let Vaike face the sword-wielder. As the Risen comes at me swinging, I think back to my last battle. I no longer try to block the Risen's blade, instead focusing on deflecting it and sidestepping. Throwing the Risen off balance rather than stopping it outright. This works much more successfully, and the Risen's blade, which was coming down towards my head, instead hits the ground, leaving me unharmed.

_And now your weapon is down and you're open. Ha._

As my blade swings forward a fireball passes right _around_ it, briefly engulfing the sword as it passes, before slamming into the Risen just ahead of my sword's edge.

_Ok, that was admittedly cool, Miriel, but just a little distracting._

Despite my surprise, however, my blade strikes true, and the beast is cut open and collapses into dust. All save the sword, which had dropped from its hand with my strike. Grabbing the iron weapon, I thrust it through my belt for safekeeping, and turn to the others. I see Vaike and the axe wielder squared off, trying to break the other down by raw strength. Virion, meanwhile, has put an arrow in the lance wielder in the back, distracting it before it could join in on either of us.

_Vaike probably won't listen at this point if I tell him to switch targets, so improv-time!_

As Vaike continues to grapple blades with the Risen, I slip behind it and push my sword cleanly through its back, ending the threat.

"What'd you do that for? The Vaike had him!"

I nod, and then quickly jump away from the lance wielder, who has come at me again.

"I thought the Vaike could use a better target" I reply with a half grin.

As Vaike takes on the lance wielder, I turn to the only foe remaining in sight. Another Fighter.

_If I recall correctly, this one is the boss. Well, weapon triangle for the win, right?_

Still, a boss is no time for charging wildly. Instead, I approach calmly, on guard. The Risen, however, reacts as might be expected, and shows no real subtlety or restraint.

Before the beast can even swing at me, however, it's struck by a bolt of lightning from my left. I change from my guarded position to an attack swing as its stunned by the electricity, but Chrom, already in a full charge, beats me to the beast. By the time the tag team is done, the beast is as well, fading away just before I could get my strike in.

I glare and look over at Chrom. "No fair. That one was mine."

Chrom grins back at me. "Robin had a better claim to it than you did. Make sure to mark it next time, so we know to leave it for you. If you're going to continue to come in behind us, that is."

Robin walks past, rolling her eyes. She reaches the top of a hillock and gazes around. "Well, there don't appear to be any more for you two to fight over, so you'll have to wait until next time, all right?"

I sigh melodramatically and shrug my shoulders, only to realize just how sore they've gotten.

"Yeah, next time sounds good. Are we on the march again?"

Chrom stares at the path and the sun a bit as the rest of the Shepherds collect around us. He then shakes his head. "We're still quite a long way from Regna Ferox, and this is a good spot to camp. We'll stop here for tonight, and continue again in the morning."

With that the veteran Shepherds head back towards one of the storage wagons. It takes me a minute to realize they're probably grabbing tents or their personal belongings, and I go to follow them.

_The forts may make a nice shelter, but we're stopping earlier in the day than I expected. And I have a new tome to read._

* * *

**Some information for you. Kellam was actually at the meal in the last chapter as well. But, since Sky was startled by seeing Stahl and Ricken, he forgot to look for Kellam, and when you forget to look for him... You won't see him. So I didn't. And I couldn't think of a way to point out that I didn't see him. I mean, that would be weird.**

**I did actually forget about Maribelle and Ricken's plight. I didn't leave that alone for plot purposes (as excellent as the game's plot is, if I were thrust into it, I would meddle), I genuinely forgot until pretty much the paragraph where I mentioned it, and I was way too lazy to rewrite all that. Besides, in that situation, I probably would forget, as the warning would need to come like four battles before it actually means anything.**

**Lissa currently ships Robin and Sky. She figures that either they _were_ a couple (with Robin forgetting and Sky being too noble to say anything to the amnesiac), or that they weren't a couple, but the only reason Sky went along with Robin is because he has a thing for her. Either way, she's trying to hook the two up.**

**Miriel is the reason behind both the delay and the length of this chapter. Originally it was going to be just the journey, with Sky talking to both Frederick and Miriel. But as her Support Conversation shaped up, it clearly needed to be after this fight. That left the chapter too short, even for my tastes, so I had to add in the fight.**

**The fights, especially these early ones, aren't really going to be that difficult. We're not playing on Lunatic or Lunatic+ here. The threats will come when I start really breaking the plot in a few game chapters (sadly, far too many of mine, I'm taking too long), or from the various non-battle threats that pop up (at least one of which should make Frederick's presence in this chapter look like he's the friendliest guy in the world).**

**Feel free to continue reviewing! I'm still trying to improve my writing _style, _which is my biggest weakness, in my mind. I'm really liking the plot and character moments, just not the flow of the words themselves, and the advice helps.**


	7. Chapter 7 - Miriel and Magic

**Yay, new chapter! Yay, much faster!**

**Thanks for the support so far, guys. Hopefully I'll have more fun and interesting chapters upcoming soon. Hopefully I can get to Two Falchions soon, because that one should be a ton of fun for everyone (except Sky. He doesn't get to have fun). But I do still have plenty of conversations and character moments I want to work in, so we'll see how that goes.**

* * *

The camp was, in its own way wondrous. A dozen scattered tents circled around the wagons, with a couple raised inside the forts. But it was the Shepherds that made it more. All around the camp, you could see the Shepherds engaged in their activities. Robin poring over maps and moving figurines. Sumia, leaning back in her tent reading a novel. Frederick and Sully sparring in the woods. Somehow, despite how much things had changed since Yllistol, the Shepherds managed to make this place feel like a home.

_I guess for a group that travels as much as they must, they are at home on the road._

With my own tent chosen and set up for the night, I finally settled down to pull out the tome. A red leather tome, emblazoned with a stylized flame on the front cover. I carefully cracked open the book, and began to take a look at the pages.

_Hel-lo? I can READ this?_

Well, "read" was probably the wrong term. Most of the words themselves meant nothing to me. But I could _understand_ the tome, which utterly shocked me. It was like taking apart and looking at a complex machine. Though the individual pieces might not be familiar, it was clear how everything fitted together. Each phrase and magic circle combined in a definite pattern, with a definite purpose. As I looked through, page after page, I could sense how they were supposed to fit together, how they drew on energy and channeled it through the phrases and images. As my interest grew, I began to flip through the pages faster and faster. The contents of each page seemed to stay with me, almost burning into my mind.

As I reached the end I closed the book, trying to sort through the information that was now swirling throughout my mind. I was almost in a trance, completely cut off from everything outside. I didn't even pay attention to what I was doing as I raised my right hand.

I did notice when the fireball flew out of it and struck the fort wall, charring the white stone and covering it with ash. I didn't scream, quite, but it did pull me back to the world. I sat there, staring at my hand and the wall with an open jaw.

"Fascinating."

I did scream at that. Well, I suppose it was more of a "yelp", actually, but that's not much better for my dignity. I can only take so many surprises at one time, and I was not expecting anyone to be watching me. As I try to get my breath and heart rate back under control, I look behind me to see Miriel standing there, carefully observing in her usual calm, dispassionate manner.

I took a few more deep breaths, and then spoke to her. "What is so fascinating, if you do not mind my asking, Miriel?"

"Your use of the tome. Your approach to it was that of a novice. The tentative nature in which you pulled it out, the slow and careful method with which you opened the tome indicated a slight fear or nervousness about it. You then proceeded to read it through in detail, almost studying it, far longer than was necessary to pick up the contents if you were a practiced mage, even if this particular tome was new to you."

Miriel's analysis is pretty much spot on, and I find myself blushing at how well she read me.

"Ok so I'm a novice, what makes that so interesting?" I ask, slightly irritably.

Miriel gestures to the wall. "The results. Your approach to the tome itself was that of a newcomer. But your interpretation of its contents was not. You knew how to focus your mind in response to it. You knew what gestures and thoughts would direct its energies, and you were able to achieve a result that a first time mage would not."

I just sit there in silence, completely flabbergasted by this. Miriel, however, only pauses for a moment before continuing. "What's more, you reacted oddly to your own actions, and your own success, as though you were not expecting it. Please, tell me, how often have you used magic before?"

_I HAVEN'T used magic before. I think my backstory character MIGHT have. That was why I was trying it alone here. I didn't think I did anything special, just what the book...showed? What did I do anyway? And how am I supposed to respond to this? I can't tell her that I'm a first time magic user. She'd want to know how I managed to make it work. Or why I didn't ask for help when learning. And I can't tell her I'm an expert, because I have no idea how I did what I did or if I could do it again. Heck, if she doesn't know, and she's a magic expert, how am I supposed to know?_

Miriel stands there, an inquisitive look on her face as she waits for me to respond. I'm nowhere near ready to respond, however, as my mind is still going in circles, trying to figure out some way to spin this. But this time, nothing comes up, and the pressure of her staring makes me wind up stuttering out the only thing running through my head that's even close to an answer.

"I… I don't know."

"Most interesting." Miriel seems to take this statement in stride, and her casual acceptance of it throws me even further off balance.

"Huh?" Ok, I have to admit, that's nowhere near as eloquent as I usually am. But by this point I was truly just at a loss. I had no idea how to respond to her questions. How should I reply to best keep my cover identity intact? But I couldn't even concentrate on that, to be honest, because the issue she raised was bouncing around in my head, demanding attention.

_How DID I do that?_

Miriel, however, ignores my utterance, and instead catches me even further off guard with her next question. "Would you tell me then, how long you have been using a sword?"

By this time I must have one of the most ridiculously confused looks on my face (though, fortunately, Lissa was not there to point it out). My mind, which had been chasing down questions of magic and tomes in relation to my backstory, suddenly goes through whiplash as it tries to cope with this new entirely different line of questioning.

_Why didn't I plan this sort of thing out? Well, because I never expected to be asked. But…_

In my confusion and haste, I wind up not deciding on a full story before speaking, and wind up changing my terms halfway through my statement. "Um, for the past… Since Robin and I left for the Outrealms."

Miriel's sharp eyes narrow at this, and she pushes her glasses back further up her nose. "You don't seem sure of your answer. Please, this is a scientific inquiry: precision is important."

_Busted. Shoot, now what? How do I explain this? What if she tells the others? What should I DO?!_

"I just… I don't know."

Her face doesn't change, but her eyes seem to almost light up at my reply. "Intriguing. I thought as much."

"What? Why?"

"Because you treat your sword the same way you did the tome. When you draw it, you seem unsure of it, almost intimidated by it. But when the battle is joined, you seem to fall into reflexive patterns and techniques that you aren't aware of. As you share this trait between both your weapon use and your magical ability, I would surmise that something is afflicting your knowledge of your abilities."

_Ok, I guess that keeps me out of trouble, but it still doesn't explain HOW I know what I know. Not that I can bring that up to Miriel, as in-character, the source of my knowledge is pretty obvious._

"I'm also struck by the contrast between your situation and Robin's."

_Wait, what?_

Miriel continues. "Robin lost her memories of her experiences, but kept the knowledge of her skills. You, on the other hand, seem to have lost your awareness of your skills, while retaining your other memories. As both of you were travelling together until shortly before you were found by Chrom, it is quite possible that whatever affected you is responsible for both of your problems."

At this point I decide to just forget about the big picture part of this and focus on its bearing on my backstory and character. "So you think that I am proficient with both magic and the sword, and have simply forgotten that this is the case? And you are offering a suggestion that whatever happened that severed Robin's memories also cut off my own knowledge of my abilities?"

"Indeed. Though without direct knowledge of what that event was, proof of that conclusion will be hard to find. And it is only a theory, it could be quite incorrect."

"It seems I need to familiarize myself with magic again, then. Would you be willing to lend your assistance?"

"Certainly. It will give me an opportunity to continue studying this situation in detail."

With my story sorted out for now, and an eager, if somewhat idiosyncratic, teacher, I set myself to learning (or "relearning", as Miriel put it) magic. Our lessons continued on, and it was well past nightfall when we finally stopped.

Magic was thrilling, yet, in a way, worrying. Not that I could wield it so effortlessly (though that was troubling in its own regard), but simply how it bent the laws of reality as I knew them. It's difficult to describe, but it is as though knowing the mathematics and physics of a ball flying through the air gave you the ability to throw that ball with just your mind. That I was in another world was something I had come to terms with. But I seems I still had yet to fully realize just how different that world might be than my own.

With this less than comforting thought drifting through my head, I settled off to sleep.

* * *

**I know, it's short, not only in word count, but in content. One chapter for one conversation. Yet I couldn't find a good way to smoothly connect this into any other events that night, and the conclusion did seem like a fairly good place to stop. I suppose I could have tacked it on to the last chapter nicely, but that one already seemed long enough.**

**I like this chapter because it's the first time where Sky's fast wit fails him, and his overthinking mind gets him into trouble a lot more rapidly than usual when he flubs his explanation. Miriel's clarity and insight serves as a good counter to that, though, so it doesn't get out of hand.**

**It's also the first point I get to expand the situation with Sky somewhat. It is admittedly minor (and I'm sure I'll get some flak for how I implemented his magic use), but it is the first glimmer at the mess that lies at the core of the scenario. We'll get plenty more, though. Don't worry.**

**Thank you all for your continued support!**


	8. Chapter 8 - The Border

**Yay, Fanfiction is working again. I don't know why it hated periods so much the other day, but I'm glad its back.**

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We awoke the next day at dawn, and broke camp in short order. We then eagerly continued along the road to Regna Ferox. Or most of us did. I'm not sure if magic has its own draining effects on one's physiology, or if the rest of the Shepherds were simply in better shape than I was, but I was finding myself rather sluggish after my evening spend learning to fling spells.

_Still, all things considered, that could have gone worse. I avoided an unforeseen complication with my backstory, and I learned how to use MAGIC._

I couldn't help it; I was still a little giddy about that. I'd dreamed of being able to use magic, of course, to shape spells and summon storms. But even my imagination paled in comparison to the sheer awesomeness of actually being able to summon and direct a fireball with your mind. I was hooked immediately, and longed to break out new tomes and discover their secrets.

_But we'll need those for the road ahead. However far we've gotten right now, it's only the first step. This journey has barely begun. And unless I can get us to the Outrealms at some point, resources will be spread thin all too soon._

I was shaken out of my geeky enthusiasm for a time as I considered what lay ahead, and how far we had yet to go, when a chipper voice spoke up from beside me.

"Hi, Sky. Mind if I walk with you?"

Startled out of my thoughts, I glanced around. Lissa was walking beside me, her hands clasped behind her back, a friendly grin on her face.

"Not at all, princess. Was there anything in particular you wanted?"

"No, nothing specific. I just wanted a heads up in case we get attacked again."

"Excuse me?"

"Oh, come on. You totally knew those Risen were there, long before Sully spotted them. You knew we were under attack before anyone else."

_Well, yeah, because I know where the main story battles take place. But I'm hardly an omniscient guard dog._

"I had a feeling about one fight, Lissa. That doesn't mean I'll be able to predict every attack."

She frowns slightly, almost glaring at me. "Say what you want, you knew they were coming." She brightens up again. "Maybe you can sense Risen!"

I let out a wry laugh. "Maybe I can. But let's not count on it without a little more evidence, ok? What would happen if you were wrong?"

Lissa grins widely as she replies "Then the Risen would attack and you'd be right here to protect me from them. So we're no worse off. On the other hand, if you _do_ sense the Risen, then we can warn the rest of the Shepherds, and we'll have extra time to prepare and plan!"

I sigh and consider my options for a bit. "You're not going to give this up, are you? How would that even work? How could I sense the Risen, or any foe?"

She frowns again, furrowing her brow as she thinks. "I don't know, but I don't know much about them anyway. They're evil and crazy and attacking Ylisse. You said they're magic. Maybe you can sense the magic?"

I grin down at her. "That's a nice idea, but I can't sense Miriel, or even your staves, so I don't think I'm much of a magic hunter."

She completely ignores me as she goes on chasing ideas. "Or, hey, maybe you were blessed by Naga! They're evil creatures, I'm sure she'd be against them."

I think to argue this, but give it up. "Fine, you can walk alongside me. I guess it won't hurt anything."

Dimples form on her cheeks as she cracks into her widest grin yet. "Great."

Not being able to think of anything else to say, we walk in silence for a short time before Lissa pipes up again, this time with a question. "So what is Robin like?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know her better than anyone, right? So what's she like? Away from the battle maps and yelling orders, I mean."

"I'm not sure how well she knows _herself_ right now. If I were to tell anyone that sort of thing, I think it should be her." Lissa muttered something under her breath at this, but I ignore it and keep going. "Maybe you should go talk to her instead. She's still discovering who she is, and talking it over with someone new might help. She'll have no expectations to fill, she can just be herself, and you can see for yourself what kind of person that is."

Lissa pouts at me. "You are no help at all, do you know that? You couldn't even give me a few hints?"

Something pops into my head, and I smile a little mischievously for a moment, before shrugging. "She is much as you see her. She's kind, caring, and clever. Ah, maybe this will help. She doesn't react well to surprises."

Lissa looks up at me, a slightly confused look on her face, before breaking into a grin of her own. Ignoring her, I continue. "Maybe it's a result of her being a tactician and wanting to have everything planned out and ordered."

Lissa has a suspiciously innocent grin on her face when I look back to her. "Thanks, Sky! See, that's all I wanted, just a little hint that would let me get to know her better. Don't worry, I promise I'll go talk to her when we stop to camp next."

_And hold her nose while she sleeps, I'm sure. Was that an evil thing to do to Robin? Should I warn her? Eh, I'm sure the support conversations will play out fine anyway. It'll make the two closer, right?_

Our talk dissolves into minor nonsense for a time, before eventually Lissa spots something that interested her and running off toward the rear of the formation.

_Her legs are far shorter than mine, yet she has no problem running around while keeping up this pace? I guess she's right, she's not that delicate._

It wasn't long after that, though, that I heard the unmistakable cry of a hurt horse. However, looking forward, I saw that it was not a horse, but instead a Pegasus. Understanding what's going on from that point is easy. I'm tempted to just ignore the entire scene, but this is the first Pegasus I've ever seen, and curiosity gets the better of me.

_The game was correct; the Pegasus DOES have armor on it already. I wonder whose mount this was._

I stare on in fascination, but make sure not to get to close. Wounded animals spook easily, and I know Pegasi are even worse because they react better to women. Chrom doesn't disappoint however.

"WHOA! Down girl! Easy there!"

I grin to myself as the events play out.

"Well, come no closer. This beast is crazed!"

That's my cue. I grab Chrom's shoulder lightly and pull him away from the beast, which quickly quiets down. And Sumia steps forward to treat it. "It's just scared and hurt, Chrom. Pegasi aren't known to trust men in general. When they're hurt, like many animals, they become more instinctive and less trusting. We should let…"

By this time Sumia had already fully calmed the beast, and was beginning to look over its wounds. I let my mouth drop for a moment, before finishing. "We should let Sumia handle it, apparently."

"How did she calm it so quickly?"

"That's incredible, Sumia!"

"I've never seen anything like it."

_Nor have I. Granted, I knew she'd do a lot better than Chrom, but that was incredibly fast for calming an animal that's injured and panicked. I guess the Pegasus is in good hands after all._

"You all go on ahead. I'll dress her wounds and catch up as soon as we're able."

With Sumia tending to her Pegasus, the rest of us continue north. As the day passes the air grows cooler, and snow begins to collect and fall around us. Our group, which had been marching mostly spread out across the road, gathers together as it cools.

"I think we're nearing the border now." I say, as the air is cold enough that I can see my breath easily, and the snow is piling up.

Chrom nods. "Yes. The gate is just up ahead. We should be able to rest in Regna Ferox tonight, before we go to meet the Khans tomorrow."

As we discuss this, the border itself comes into view.

_Not quite the northern wall of Briggs or the wall of Winterfell, but impressive nonetheless._

"This is the Longfort, Robin. It covers the border between Ylisse and Regna Ferox. The Feroxi are cautious, especially around foreigners. Not really surprising amidst the roving bandits that Plegia is sending forth."

I delight in the opportunity to show off my knowledge of the game world.

Frederick shakes his head and replies. "Don't mistake a lack of hospitality for hostility, though. We simply must be diplomatic here."

"Heh. Diplomacy among the Feroxi is not a matter of words, Frederick."

Chrom pulls himself up and gives me a stern glare. "Your actions here reflect on Ylisse. I may not be the best negotiator, but we must try to speak with them."

I nod, meekly.

_I was only trying to save YOU from falling for an ambush, especially if the timing is off and Sumia doesn't make it in perfect time. But have it your way._

As Chrom and Frederick begin to discuss the matter with the Feroxi guard, I pull out the Fire tome I had been using last night. Flipping through it for a moment, I notice the faded pages and remember what Miriel had told me during our lesson. As the books energy is consumed, the writing begins to fade until eventually it goes blank. Well, we only used it fifteen times or so last night, so it should still have plenty left for what I needed right now.

"Please, good lady! If you'd just listen-"

"I've heard quite enough! At-"

That's as far as she gets as a fireball strikes her breastplate, hitting with enough force to topple her on her back. Though, to my surprise, she quickly regains her feet.

_Right, so even a knight's heavy armor is substantially lighter than that of the medieval period. Oh well, time to finish this up._

Everyone is pretty much just staring at me right now, apparently shocked at the pre-emptive strike I had launched. Not wanting to give anyone a chance to collect themselves, I quickly shout up towards the fort.

"When you talk to the prince you should show some more respect. You say that we're imposters, but you didn't even bother to check that claim. Prince Chrom is the Exalt's own blood. Like his sister, he bears the Brand of their line. He carries with him the blade of the first Exalt. Yet still you doubt our claim?"

Raimi, the guard captain, finally reached the top of the fort and called back down. "The Brand could be faked, as could the sword. If you seek to prove your bona fides, than do it on the field of battle! Attack!"

With that, the Lances begin flying. Fewer this time were thrown at Chrom, though, as it seems that a couple of the Feroxi were not happy with my taking a potshot at their leader. I break into a run and jump to the side, trying to avoid the incoming fire, and trusting that Chrom would do similarly.

In my haste to avoid the lances, however, I don't pay enough attention to where I'm going and run smack into something, sending me collapsing onto my back.

_Ow. What was that, a tree?_

Looking up, however, I only see a suit of yellow and white armor. Kellam looks down at me, slightly apologetically and offers me his hand.

"Sorry about that, it seems you didn't see me. I'm Kellam. I'm a Shepherd, like you, don't worry."

I nod, clearing my head.

_He's probably been travelling with us the whole time, I just forgot about him. He really is easy to miss._

"Go talk to Robin. She'll want to know she has another soldier for her battle plans."

As he left, vanishing almost as soon as I stopped thinking about him, I realized that I was alone on our left flank. Alone, and surrounded by foes.

* * *

**We finally make it to Regna Ferox. We also meet Kellam. And Sky gets himself into trouble. Again.**


	9. Chapter 9 - The Feroxi Way

**Well, here we are. Another chapter, another fight. I apologize for the delay, and the length. It was supposed to be longer and come out sooner, but I was stymied on an issue with the direction of the story, which I'll detail in the afterword.**

* * *

_Three Feroxi ahead of me, two archers and a soldier. Keep my tome, the sword is not going to be ideal for these enemies. Trees on the left. Stairs and door on the right._

These thoughts flashed through my head, and I dove for the trees while letting out another fireball. I didn't track it well enough to know if it hit anything, but at least it disrupted their aim and concentration. It was a small copse of trees, only ten or fifteen, but it was dense enough to give me plenty of cover. And, fortunately, my cloak was harder to spot than the bright red uniforms of the Feroxi soldiers.

_Great for distracting Walhart, I suppose, but there are times when stealth comes in handy. Not that the Feroxi were ever ones for subtlety._

So, as they began to pick through the trees, I aimed carefully, and let loose another fireball. This one travelled swift and true, striking the soldier in the chest and putting him, at least temporarily, out of the fight. I ducked back behind the tree as the archers returned fire, letting their arrows hit the tree harmlessly, before I rushed them, drawing my sword as I did so.

_It may not let me attack at range, but I don't want to attract more arrows if I can avoid it. Ha, and the archers apparently weren't expecting me to close the distance. Good. I bet they won't expect this either._

I start off with a swift kick to the gut, doubling over the first archer, before turning and cutting my sword across in a sideswipe towards the second archer's neck. Only to drop my sword as it hit me what I was about to do.

_These aren't Risen._

My hesitation only lasts a moment, and I grab the archer's bow and pull it down and out of his hands, before kneeing him in the groin. Or trying to, but he turns out to be faster than expected. With his bow gone, the two of us are squared off in hand to hand combat. Only he's a trained Feroxi soldier who is taller and broader than me.

_And he's probably a lot better at close quarters combat than I am as well. Crap._

I desperate try to block and avoid, while mostly getting pummeled, before collapsing on the ground in pain. The brute is leaning over me, and his buddy that I kicked is shambling up next to him, also with a rather cruel smile on his face. Only to be thrown backward shortly thereafter by the bolt of lightning which seemed to come out of nowhere. The closer archer suddenly turned, to find Chrom and Sumia bearing down on him with full force.

I groan and try to get back to my feet, when I saw Robin standing above me, looking very cross. "Why the blazes did you drop your sword?!"

"What? What in blazes took you so long?!" I yell back as I struggle back to my feet, shaking my head to try to clear it.

"You started this. I figured you knew what you were doing and could take care of yourself." Robin responded. "But I didn't know you were going to give up halfway through."

"What do you mean, 'I started it'? She was in the middle of giving orders to attack! I just didn't want Chrom to wind up as a human pincushion."

I look around, and see that all the foes beneath the ramparts seem to have been incapacitated, as Chrom drops the last one with a pommel strike to the head before coming to rejoin us.

"I appreciate that, though it seems Sumia had that covered, but we were trying to get through this without incident." Chrom replied.

"Then you don't know the Feroxi that well, Chrom. As soon as they said that brigands had been passing through trying to pose as Ylisseans, our fate was pretty much sealed. I was trying to stop her before she bullheadedly ordered an attack, and present what little proof we had."

Chrom looks thoughtful for a moment. "Proof which she dismissed. The Brand I can understand, knowing it could be painted on it could well be a fake. But Falchion is a one of a kind blade. It's the same blade carried by the first Exalt, and it never wears nor breaks. No replica could possibly be confused for it."

_Except it's NOT one of a kind right now. I wonder if she challenged Lucina similarly, and if she might have seen her Falchion?_

I pick my sword back up and stretch my shoulders. "Well, I learned my lesson; I'll try not to disrupt your plans too much again in the future, ok?"

Chrom waves me off. "Forget it, you were probably right. I should have known the Feroxi would challenge us. They do respect strength more than words."

Robin continues to glare at me, though she's stopped shouting, fortunately. "You still haven't explained why you dropped your sword. You were doing fine, and then suddenly it looks like you're about to get yourself killed."

_Because I didn't want to kill anybody._

"We're here on a diplomatic mission, remember? We need to demonstrate our strength to gain the respect of the Feroxi, but that doesn't mean killing their guards. So maybe next time a soldier does something stupid, you'll punish them a little bit less harshly, hmm?"

Robin deflates a little, her anger leaving her, and she turns her head down and looks away, mumbling something under her breath that I couldn't hear.

"Ah ha!" We both turn to see Stahl, holding aloft a key. "This should get us through the door upstairs, and then we can confront the guard about her error in judgment."

"We'll probably have to subdue her before she'll listen as well." I inform them. "But don't worry about it. She's Feroxi, she won't hold that against us."

Chrom nods as Robin reorganizes us into groups to head upstairs and take on the rest of the garrison. I wind up being partnered with Sumia, taking Chrom's place, somewhat to my surprise, as Robin pairs Chrom with herself. I decide to ask Robin about the pairings.

"You can use magic. If Sumia's Pegasus can carry you without trouble, you'll have incredible range and flexibility in who you strike and from where. Chrom uses a sword, and is better suited to combat on the ground right now."

_Well, I can't really argue with that logic. That sort of pair up may work in the game, but that doesn't mean it works in reality. Or wherever this is. But does this sink the Chrom and Sumia ship? Wait a second, we're still in a fight, think about shipping later._

I shake my thoughts off and approach Sumia's Pegasus, somewhat nervously. Would it let me ride, even though I'm a guy?

"Hello, Sumia. She really is a beautiful creature, isn't she?"

Sumia smiles radiantly at me. "Oh, yes. And the sweetest little thing once she gets to know you."

I approach the creature and hold my hand forward, letting the Pegasus sniff it before resting it on her nose and rubbing gently.

_If only I had an apple. I miss horses, I haven't ridden in years._

"Do you think she'll let me ride?"

"She let Chrom, so I don't see why not. Up you go."

I grabbed Sumia's arm and pulled myself up, settling into place behind her on the Pegasus.

"Their archers were all below the wall, Sumia, we should be clear. Ready?"

"Let's go!" She proclaims with a smile, before soaring us over the wall.

_Huh, you couldn't do THAT in the game._

As we sweep over, I catch the first fighter in my sight. He and the knight are focused on the door, and he doesn't even notice as Sumia sweeps down toward him. I let of a fireball, but I fail to correctly compensate for the fast movement of the Pegasus, it misses, slamming into the ground right beside the fighter. He turns, only to catch Sumia's lance in the left shoulder, knocking him to the ground, but not doing enough to put him out of the fight. Until Stahl rides over him, not even swinging his weapon.

_OUCH. Well, he's still moving, but he is NOT going to feel good in the morning._

The Shepherds quickly swarm out onto the upper landing, and we soon find ourselves face to face with Raimi. The knight is standing stoically at the gate, and Chrom approaches her.

"Do you recognize our claim now, milady?"

"Let our battle sound out the truth of your words!" She cries, stepping forward and thrusting her lance at Chrom, who dodges past and steps within her reach. Faster than I could follow it, Falchion is at her throat. Chrom smiles in a pleasant fashion before asking again.

"Do you recognize our claim now, milady?"

"Then your claims were…true…" Raimi utters. Chrom releases her, and she immediately bows. "A thousand apologies, Prince Chrom. I truly took you for brigand imposters."

As the scene plays out much as it did in the game, I pull away from the group and begin helping up the Feroxi warriors who have woken up. Hey, diplomacy, right? Most of them seem ok, though the knight Frederick struck is still a little groggy. But even the foes I fought in the beginning are smiling and talking about what a good fight it was.

"We should do that again sometime! If you really like bare fisted fighting so much, there are plenty of trainer's rings where we could duke it out again."

"Ah, um… Thank you, but I think I will decline. I already have plenty of fights ahead of me, and would not be able to take you up on that in the near future."

The archer grins broadly. "I suppose so, travelling with the prince. And I'm still stuck here, unfortunately. But good luck!"

With that I bid the Feroxi farewell and catch back up to the group as Raimi returns, ready to lead us to Flavia.

* * *

**Sorry about this. The story is starting to get into the part where things start changing. Unfortunately, everything in the story connects, and there's one part I haven't decided on yet. And that is who Sky is finally going to romance. I did have a loose plan for this originally, but between rewrites to the main story and the conversations I've written thus far things have changed. As a result, pretty much any female character is available. Unfortunately, certain aspects of the choice are going to have repercussions in the upcoming chapter. Specifically, whether Sky romances one of the parents or one of the children is going to pretty drastically change some interactions. So I'm asking for your input on the matter. Review, PM, I don't mind, just pop in with your opinion on who you think Sky should get, or at least which category, the Parents or the Time Travelers. It will help.**

**Although I will be deciding who he hooks up with on my own (and I already have the choices narrowed down some and rated for my preference), I'm more looking for an outside view on the story and characters than making this a popularity contest.**

**Thanks, and I hope you enjoy.**


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